$1.7m MASSEY FARM DOG GENETIC TRIAL WILL TRY TO FIND THE GOODEST BOY

Researchers at Massey University will investigate what genetic traits give New Zealand farm dogs the edge.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced the $1.7 million programme last week and said methodologies and genetic testing used to select the best sheep and cattle to farm with would be applied to farm dogs.

The three-year project was supported by the Government through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund, with the Ministry for Primary Industries co-investing $770,000. Massey, Focus Genetics and VHL Genetics will contribute $1 million in cash and in-kind.

“One part of the project will identify the desired traits of working farm dogs, and develop new genomic prediction criteria to aid the selection of improved dogs. Another will involve genome sequencing and genotyping to set a baseline understanding of recessive disease-causing mutations which can be carried by these breeds,” he said.

President of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association Pat Coogan said some association members volunteered to have blood samples taken from their dogs to contribute to the genetic research.

The research would specifically investigate New Zealand breeds like the huntaway and the heading dog, he said.

Coogan said they hoped to improve the longevity of dogs, and the longevity of particular aspects such as bone structure.

They also wanted to investigate the genetics of athletic dogs with good feet, he said.

“We’re looking to either improve or find out about any underlying faults which may be in any particular bloodline,” Coogan said.

Some bloodlines were more prone to disease and bone structure deformity than others, he said.

The breeding of New Zealand dogs “improved immensely over the last 40 years,” Coogan said.

“Just how much they’re going to come up with I’m not too sure,” he said.

He said a dog was mostly as good as its owner, with a well-bred dog performing well if a handler put time into training it.

O’Connor said there were an estimated 200,000 working dogs across the country.

A dog was a significant investment for a shepherd and the project hoped to give them more certainty when selecting a pup, O’Connor said.

The project was the most detailed genomic investigation of New Zealand working farm dog breeds to date, and had the potential to improve dogs’ health, welfare, and working performance, O’Connor said.

“Through this project we can expect to see dogs that are in better health and demonstrate superior working performance. So in time, the farmer’s ‘best friend’ will be become an ‘even more valuable’ friend,” O’Connor said.

The project would be led by the AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding, a Massey University satellite campus, with support from Pamu, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association.